Belvidere’s Reghan Brands overcomes injury; makes national team

ROCKFORD — Competing through growing pain, Reghan Brands saw one of her lifelong goals become a reality last month.

The Gymnastic Academy of Rockford member was selected to the U.S. National Tumbling Team for 2014-15 following the conclusion of the USA Gymnastics Championships in Louisville, Kentucky in July.

“It was very exciting to hear my name called,” Brands said. “I’m honored.”

Brands, a Belvidere North sophomore, earned three top-five finishes at the junior elite level this season. Those performances and other criteria were the basis of her being selected to the national team. She placed first at the Kalon Ludvigson Invitational in Salt Lake City, Utah; third at the U.S. Elite Challenge in Spokane, Washington and fifth at the USA Gymnastics Championships in Louisville.

She joined Natalie Ory of Midland, Texas; Abby Rowe of American Falls, Idaho; Gretchen Schultz of Destrehan, Louisiana and Rachel Thevenot of Metairie, Louisiana as members of the national team.

“This is something that I worked hard for,” Brands said.

What made her performance more impressive was she did it with an achilles injury that she said had been going on for a few months.

“It got really bad (at Kentucky),” she said.

Brands is now resting that injury and hopes to be back to tumbling in the next couple of weeks.

She’s hoping for a quick recovery because in September she will begin trying to qualify for a second straight year at the World Age Group Competition that will be held Nov. 14-16 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Even if she’s not 100 percent healthy by then, she has a shot to be chosen.

“There are four from our group going to the camp and they can choose up to four for Florida,” Brands said. “So I still have a good chance of going.”

The World Age Group Competition showcases the world’s best boys and girls in four age groups: 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18. The event is expected to showcase more than 1,100 athletes from all over the world.

“I’m just focusing on conditiong right now,” Brands said, “but I should be ready.”